Do You Want an Unhurried Life?

Spring is already upon us, summer planning lurks in our midst, and our thoughts are consumed with our crowded calendars and wrapping up the school year. Sound familiar?

Pause a moment to take your thoughts captive: Do you feel hurried from morning 'til night? Do you often wish for more hours in a day? How long is your task list for the next 4 hours, let alone the next 24? Even now as you are reading this article, are you mentally running an obstacle course of details for chores, to-do lists, or dinner tonight?

Being Wonder Woman can be thrilling and engaging, but sometimes we all need a little help to keep from exhausting ourselves and taking away energy that we could otherwise devote to family or fun. We may not have an invisible airplane to make our errands fly by faster, but we can certainly call in our "Super Friends" (otherwise known as Professional Services) to tackle our daily tasks.

Not only will calling your "Super Friends" help save your energy, but it will also give back your most precious gift - your mindshare. You give up "real estate" of your mind by constantly adding tasks to your to-do list, and even making lists of lists, without ever feeling like you get ahead. Giving up real estate in your mind is similar to sectioning off mental desk space for the organization projects that never get your immediate attention, but remain important in your mind so that you "won't forget." It's those nagging chores in the office that steal attention from the "next big thing" which should have your sole attention. Calling on your "Super Friends" enables you to receive help in areas that don't necessarily need your personal attention, allowing you to regain mindshare, cross-off tasks on your to-do list, and release that hurried feeling in your daily life.

First, admit you need it. Recognizing the need for help and support is the biggest hurdle to having an open mind to receive someone into your home, office, and life who will make improvements.

Second, stop giving yourself a hard time. It's okay to admit you've taken on too much or need to scale back in a few areas. By spending less time agonizing over past choices, you can achieve your goal faster by spending that time identifying the areas in which you require help. Make a list of all your dream projects in your home, whatever their nature, and jobs ideal for someone else to take on. For example, what do you find yourself "wishing" you could do when you are doing the tasks that you "have" to do? Do you want to be scrapbooking instead of grocery shopping? Would you rather play with the kids than organize the attic? Are you scrambling to find the new client's information that is hidden somewhere in your office when you should be working on the presentation for tomorrow's big meeting? Think on these tasks, and create your list of dream projects that you most desire to hand off to someone else.

Next, divide this list into business support, organization, daily tasks, and miscellaneous. Rank them in order of importance (e.g., "to do today" or in 2007, 2008, etc). Set an estimated budget, if necessary, for each task. This divided ranking will assist you when discussing your tasks with a professional.

Third, hire your "Super Friends" to get done what you need to do most. Whether you need a little or a lot of help in any of these areas, a Personal Project Manager, your "Super Friend," is the right solution for you. A Personal Project Manager provides customized solutions to suit all your needs, providing a one- top-shop when you need any of these services:

Professional Organizer: From creating a personal time management system to organizing your home or business, a Professional Organizer can transform the way you tackle daily clutter. Use a Professional Organizer to get ahead on spring cleaning your closets, to de-clutter your home and office, or to help your kids get on track with a system that works for them. Let his/her creativity and your style combine to remove the unnecessary obstacles in your systems for easy upkeep.

Dear reader, I know what you're thinking. Professional Organizers, Personal Project Managers, and the like might be expensive. I'm here to tell you that we're more affordable than you think! For some, hiring us is considered a luxury, but for all it is a teachable practice that will transform the way you think, live, and feel about tasks and projects in your life. While we can simply complete the task for you, in this trade we exist to also pass along our knowledge and empower you to carry the task forward as your desire to do so allows. We are ready to help with projects you create, but we want you to feel engaged and confident after the project is over. Your "Super Friends" aim to instill a belief that the job completed is not only a step closer, but leaps and bounds closer to future success for your home and business.